Improvement in vapor-burning- street-lamps



' SMITH & RICE.

Vapor Burner.

Patented Aug. v23, 1870` Fay, e

Wizz-hesse@ N. PETERS, Pmicruxhegrapmr, washlnglnn, D. (L

iiaiiril staten aient (pitite,

Letters PatentNo. 106,630, dated August 23, 1870.

-IMPO'VEMENT IN VAPOR-BURNING STREET-LAMPS.

The Schedule referred to n these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom, 'it may concern Be it known that we, CHARLES E. SMITH and HENRY J. RICE, both ofthe city ot' Columbus and State ot Ohio, have invented certain Improvements in Street-lamp Vapor-Burners; and we do hereby declare that the following, taken in connection with the drawing which accompanies andt'orms partof this invention, suilspecification, is a description of our cient to enable those skilled in the art to practice it.

. The objects oi' our improvements are to construct the post of a street-lamp,

and the lamp itself, and put them together so'that the gas may be generated within the lamp-post; the apparatus l'or holding the liuid, and generating the vapor or gas therefrom, being removable, and capable ot being replenished with fluid without danger while the lamp is burning, `the whole having the appearance of city lamp-posts which are supplied withgas through pipes leading from distant gas-works.

Our improvements consist in a special construction and modo of sustaining the reservoir, within Ythe post,

in the arrangement ot' the same, 4and the heating and lthat part'ofthe post which contains the gas or vapor generating apparatus, with such apparatus in place.

A is `the post, 4having at a a series of holes serving as alrfinlets, to supply uprising currents to keep the reservoir oi' liuid cool, as hereinafter stated, and l'urnish oxygen to the heating-burner, and to be intermixed with the gasas generated.

A ring, b, having a downward serves to conceal these holes, and an upward current.

An opening, c, in the side of the post, provided with a hinged or removable cap or cover', rives ready access to the heating-jet, when the gas or vapor is to be generated `preparatory to lighting the lamp.

The frame, which supports the hanging shade G that surrounds the Ailluminatiiig-burner, to protect it l'rom the wind, is provided at its bottom with a socket-piece, d, which lits and drops snugly into the top ot' the post,.as in a socket, and is thus lirmly held in place; it is'slotted oil-opposite sides, as seen, so that it may straddlc the hollow arms c e, by which the lamp is suspended within the post, and it is also provided with the usual cross-piece against which to rest a ladder, when necessary.

projection, as seen, to aid in insuring We will no w describe the construction and operation ol' the \'apoirei|e1ating and burning apparatus.

The reservoir or fluid-chamber is `shown at D, and is provided with two opposite tubular arms c e, long enough to rest upon the top of `the post, project a little therefrom, and hold the remainder ot' the apparatus suspended withinthe post. Y

F is` the wicking-pipe.

G, the oil-cock, which regulates the How of the oil or llnid to the burner.

H, the gas-chamber.

I, alght brass plate or partition, having a small hole in its center', through which the gas passes and becomes oxygenized before it reaches the burner, by intermixing with the air entering at the oxygen or airholes k k.

lis the gas passing up to the llame.

M is the jet or heating-pipe for imparting the heat which generates'the vapor, and aids in,A oxygenyizing it in its passage to the bnrner; it is open at its lower or jet end, and lclosed at its upper end, which,

as seen, is inserted in the side 'ofthe lower end ol' the burner-tube.;

lwo openings, m and n, are made in this closed end or receiving-chamber, which becomes, when theapparatus is in operation, a liotair chamber; the lower one, m., ot' these openings is made larger than its opposite and upper one, in order that, when thc'stream oi' vapor emitted through the hole (i enters' thIVY lower and larger opening, a part only so entering :n es- 4capethrongh the smaller' opening, the excess, oi' course,

remaining and accumulating in the heating-tube, and, therelbre, becoming steadily pushed through and down this tnbeto supply the heating-jetat o, this latter acting directly upon the bottom surface of the circular or broad part ot' the gas-chamber.

The air or oxygen-holes L It admit air long before the vapor reaches the tip of the illuminating-burner, and at that juncture where the heating-tube is about to receive `its supply, so that great economy is secured by the plentiful admixtnre of' oxygen withy the vapor just before the sameenters such heating-tube.

By reason also of the close proximity oil this tube with the main generating-tube, which becomes highl heated, and for the dist-ance of some'two feet or less, and of the heated condition of the partition l, and ot' `the heating-tnbe M, the air entering the holes the more readily gives oit its oxygen. This supply of' oxygen to the heating-flame results in a great econonly in the amount ot'tluid consumed i'or heating. The tubular arms e c are for the following purpose, in addition to serving as a means for suspension Through one of them the reservoir may be supplied with oil without danger, while the lamp is burning, by merely inserting therein the nozzle ot theoil-can and filling the reservoir, the mouth of the tube being made somewhat conical, that the tapering no'zzle'may iit it snugly; the .dist-ance of'fthe burner from this mouth also plecluding lall danger ot' explosion while filling.

During the act of filling, the opposite arm freely allows the exit, iu a direction awayirom under the lamp, of air andv any vapor rising fiom the oil, aud thus.

iiastens anflstacilitates theV lilling, as well as prevents risk ot' explosion. Vlhes'e arms we designate safetyl ing in constant and equal circulation', prevents any sudden gust ot' wind troni blowing out the heating or generating jet; nor is this jet exposed to rain or snow, or any other 'of the causes which have heretofore caused so serions a diiculty in making a vapor-binning street-lamp a practical success.

'.l 11e separation otl our reservoir ti'oln the lamp-post is aA matter oil great value, as heretofore they have been'cast in one piece, presenting an unsightly appearance, and the reservoir was liable to become heated from the jet below, as there' was no passage-way for .the cold air to pass; and, moreover, there was always going on a chemical action between the iron and the tluidwhich injured the qnalityof the latter to a great extent. Our construction obviaies all these vditlioulties, and we make our reservoir of lsheet brass, and silver soldered.

The reservoir, it will be seen, is, with all its attachments, i'ree to be lifted out oi' the post at any time for repairs, orany other purpose, not being secured to it in any way.

*"Weciaim-- The combination with the removable reservoir D,

of the tubular'arms e e, serving as a means for suspending the reservoir, and also for filling the same, substantiallyv as shown and described.

Also, the combination with the 'reservoirand its arms, of a gas-generating apparatus, the whole adapted to be applied within a hollow-lamp-post, as shown and described. I

Also, the arrangement, within` a lamp-post, of aremovable reservoir and gas-generating apparatus. suspended therein in such manner that the air admitted into the postk below the reservoir shall, iu rising, aii'ord a continuous current, servingas a cooling medium on all sides of the reservoir. between it and the post, and then escape at the top of the post, substantially as shown and described.

' CEAS. E. SMITH. 'HENRY J. RlGlfiJA Witnesses:

E. 1. DELANEY, EDWARD BIRD. 

